Sam Harris - NPR Interview "Letter to a Christian Nation

[Freedom_from_Chains]

Great interview with Sam Harris

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6166802


September 29, 2006 · In his new book Letter to a Christian Nation, author Sam Harris argues that faith is an antiquated and destructive notion that should be challenged more vigorously.

Harris attacks religious moderates -- Muslim moderates in particular -- who in defending their faith as tolerant and peaceful, provide cover for extremists.

Harris talks with Madeleine Brand about the controversy his new book is already generating. He's no stranger to controversy -- his 2005 book The End of Faith sparked thousands of hate-filled letters to Harris, many from Christians angered by his thesis that religion is dangerous for the future of both mankind and the Earth.

Those letters, Harris says, formed the basis of Letter to a Christian Nation -- it was his reply to the many notes from fundamentalist Christians after his first book was published.

"What most people call 'faith' (in the religious sense of the word) is nothing but a willingness to accept religious dogma uncritically," Harris says. "I am definitely arguing that we have to transcend this impulse."

[imouttahere]

1. This is something I hope we see more often....

especially in this country. But I won't hold my breath...

[Freedom_from_Chains]

6. You and me both, and if we don't exterminate ourselves first

we will.

[rurallib]

2. I heard some of this interview

Brand asked him what I thought was a really odd question about love and how could love be proven. Sounded like she was trying to obfuscate the issue. Almost made me think she was trying to make him look bad.
I remember when the Muslims had a fatwa on Salman Rushdie. Almost sounds like the fundies have one on Harris.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

5. She asked several questions that seemed like that to me

but Sam handled each one of them and was very polite about how he did it. Something we need to see more of.

[DIKB]

3. I love Sam Harris.

His book "The End of Faith" is awesome.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

4. Yes it is. Sam gives me hope that we my still find our way out of

the modern dark ages.

[LostInAnomie]

7. I just finished "Letter to a Christian Nation"...

... it's a good book but large parts of it are a rehash of "The End of Faith". He's a good writer and a good voice for reason. I would love to see him in a debate.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

8. I was think about buying "Christian Nation" but I have already

read "The End of Faith." So if it is as you say, a rehash, should I pass on buying it?

[LostInAnomie]

9. It's a good book...

... and it has a lot of new stuff, but there are quite a few parts that he repeats stuff from EoF. If you're going to buy it I would probably wait until it comes out in paperback. It's only 96 pages. So you could just read it in the store if you had the time.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

10. Yeah, he said that it was in response to many letters he had

received from Christian over EoF and that this was a short primer for them. He said he purposefully designed it so it could be read in an hour or so. Translation: I tried to keep it short and simple so that even these morons could understand it but its still kind of a long shot.